


TER/MA November 1999 Challenge description

by terma_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-11-01
Updated: 1999-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:47:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terma_archivist/pseuds/terma_archivist
Summary: The original description for the TER/MA November 1999 challenge
Collections: TER/MA





	TER/MA November 1999 Challenge description

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alicettlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [TER/MA](https://fanlore.org/wiki/TER/MA) and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2019. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [the TER/MA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/terma/profile).  
> TER/MA November 1999 Challenge.

**This month's challenge is inspired by the following true story, courtesy of my dad, who teaches honors English at a well known university:**

You know that book Men are from Mars, Women from Venus? Well, here's a prime example of that. This assignment was actually turned in by two of my English students: Rebecca (last name deleted) and Gary (last name deleted). 

In-class Assignment for Wednesday: The process is simple. Each person will pair off with the person sitting to his or her immediate right. One of you will then write the first paragraph of a short story. The partner will read the first paragraph and then add another paragraph to the story. The first person will then add a third paragraph, and so on back and forth. Remember to re-read what has been written each time in order to keep the story coherent. The story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached. 

* * *

  
At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The chamomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home, now reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he liked chamomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating,and if she thought about him too much her Asthma started acting up again. So chamomile was out of the question. 

_Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think about than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago. "A.S. Harris to Geostation 17," he said into his trans-galactic communicator. "Polar orbit established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he could sign off a bluish particle beam flashed out of nowhere and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay. The jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of his seat and across the cockpit._

He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he felt one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one woman who had ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its pointless hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4. "Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel." Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news simultaneously excited her and bored her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her youth —when thedays had passed unhurriedly and carefree, with no newspapers to read, no television to distract her from her sense of innocent wonder at all the beautiful things around her. "Why must one lose one's innocence to become a woman?" she pondered wistfully. 

  
_Little did she know, but she has less than 10 seconds to live._

_Thousands of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mothership launched the first of its lithium fusion missiles. Thedim-witted wimpy peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral Aerospace Disarmament Treaty through Congress had left Earth a defenseless target for the hostile alien empires who were determined to destroy the human race. Within two hours after the passage of the treaty the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth, carrying enough firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With no one to stop them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The lithium fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The President, in his top-secret mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean floor off the coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion which vaporized Laurie and 85 million other Americans._

_The President slammed his fist on the conference table. "We can't allow this! I'm going to veto that treaty! Let's blow 'em out of the sky!"_

  
This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature. My writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic, semi-literate adolescent. 

  
_Yeah? Well, you're a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium._

  
Asshole. 

  
_Bitch._

* * *

My dad won't tell me what grade he gave them, but he was laughing so hard that I am sure it was a good one. 

So this month's challenge is to write a round robin story with another author. No specific topic is assigned. You can aim for the story to be seamless (the reader doesn't notice the change in writer), or, like our example above, seamfull. It is up to you to make contact with someone else, but you are not restricted to just the TER/MA list. The listserv is a good place to ask for volunteers though.   
—Rowanne 


End file.
